Killer Angels, by Michael Shaara is the story of the Battle of Gettysburg, when the Confederate army and the Union army fought what was the largest battle of the Civil War (Shaara). By the time the battle was over, there were 51,000 men killed, wounded, or unaccounted for. Though this book is a work of fiction, it is based on real-life characters, including those of General Robert E. Lee, who commanded the Confederate army, and Colonel Joshua L. Chamberlain who commanded the Union army. The battle wages for three days before the Union army finally defeats the Confederate army. Each chapter is named after a general, and tells their story. Lee and Mead are the "Killer Angels" of the title. The Book won the 1975 Pulitzer Prize, and was the basis of the film "Gettysburg."
On June 29, 1863, a spy comes to Lee's second in command, General James Longstreet, and tells him the Union army is nearby. On this news, the Confederate swing southeast through the mountains toward Gettysburg. In Gettysburg, General John Buford, leader of the Union cavalry, discovers Confederate troops nearby so takes two brigades and positions them along the hills in the area, realizing that holding the high ground will be key to winning the coming battle.
On July 1, Longstreet wants to swing southeast and come between the Union army and Washington D. C., but Lee wants to face the Union army head on and crush it. The battle in Gettysburg has already begun when Lee arrives in town and he orders his generals to attack. At the end of the first day, the Union forces retreat to the tops of the hills. On July 2, the Confederates take heavy losses as they engage the Union army. By the end of July 3, the Confederate army is decimated and defeated as Lee's plans to smash the Union army fail.
Shaara, Michael. "The Killer Angels." New York, NY: Ballantyne Publishing Group. 1975.
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